How close to the game should a story hour be?

willpax · Aug 16, 2002

I was wondering. . .

How faithful to the game experience do you, the reader of a story hour, prefer the story hour to be?

Do you want simply a plain transcript of a given adventure, enjoying the session vicariously?

Do you like a well written story, but still want the game mechanics to be somewhat obvious?

Do you care less about the game than you do enjoying a well written story in the genres that most of us enjoy?

Does a story hour even need to have a game behind it? Should story hour be seen as a kind of writer's workshop for all the budding fantasy writers on the boards?

What I would be interested in is preferences, knowing that in matters of taste there can be no dispute. I don't think any of these options are right or wrong, but it would be interesting to see the overall attitudes of the story hour audience.

Comments, anyone?

Orco42 · Aug 16, 2002

I'd say between "Written descriptively, with game mechanics obvious" and "Well written, with game farther in background".

the Jester · Aug 16, 2002

Well, if it's a story hour in the sense that's generally used on these boards, I'd like a good description of what happened and I'd like a clue as to the "how" (read that mechanics) as well. In fact, sometimes a few misc. write-ups of some of the new spells, monsters, etc. are really cool (necropede anyone?)

RatPunk · Aug 16, 2002

Wulf's

Wulf's Story Hour is the perfect example of what I want to read in a story hour and what I try to acheive when writing my own.

You know there's a game going on in there, but it doesn't smack you in the head with the obviousness of it.

Subtle is the way to go, IMHO.

Trevalon Moonleirion · Aug 16, 2002

I like well-written story hours without too much emphasis on game mechanics. I haven't updated my storyhour in a long time, but I really look up to Piratecat, Wulf Ratbane, and the guy who does the AWESOME Dark*Matter story hour.

Tharkun · Aug 16, 2002

I always seem to like the mechanics left out of the story hours. Can you imagine the human barbarian (from one of them awesome story hours) having his dwarf buddy saying "hand me that +1 longsword eh?" or the cowardly rogue say"I got a critial fumble!"

Wicht · Aug 16, 2002

I have been endeavoring in my story hour to write it novel-style, using no actual mechanical phrases, yet be true to the actual events and dialogue of the game at the same time. Thats what I enjoy in other's story hours as well.

Gospog · Aug 16, 2002

Well, I prefer "Written descriptively, with game mechanics obvious".

But I know this is not for everyone.

One thing I can't stand is when a Story Hour does not even remotely resemble the game it's supposed to be based on. Espescaillly if it's a game I played in.

Few things irk me more.

el-remmen · Aug 16, 2002

I write mine in a novelistic style, but with footnotes to explain game mechanics, rulings and house rules. . . I also use the footnotes to give background info on the world at times - so for example if someone mentions "Bast" - there would be a foot note explainin that she is the Cat Goddess.

willpax · Aug 18, 2002

To sum up so far:

There seems to be a real concensus (at least among the respondents) that there needs to be a close balance between revealing game mechanics and the classical standards of good writing. No one so far reads the story hours as merely session transcripts, or merely as fiction.

To expand this discussion, I might ask what features/characteristics do you find to be best or most typical of story hours as a kind of writing? What makes a story hour both good and different from a more stereotypical piece of fiction?